Hudson Institute Events Podcast

In Twenty Times I Almost Died, available August 18, 2026, John Spencer recounts experiences spanning combat tours in Iraq, research trips through modern war zones, and more. He reveals important information that helps explain the changing character of warfare and its implications for strategists. Beyond providing lessons for the battlefield, Spencer offers guidance on personal growth and leadership, advising readers on how to live with purpose.

Please join Hudson Institute for a fireside chat with Senior Fellow and Keystone Defense Initiative Director Rebeccah Heinrichs and John Spencer, chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point and co-director of the Urban Warfare Project. Major John Spencer (Ret.) and Dr. Heinrichs will discuss Twenty Times I Almost Died and how it can inform US defense policymakers as they navigate the evolving challenges and opportunities of contemporary warfare.

Six months after the opening salvos of Operation Epic Fury, America and the Islamic Republic of Iran remain at loggerheads over the future of Tehran’s nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz. Unresolved conflicts linger in Yemen, Lebanon, and Gaza. Meanwhile, a Unites States-brokered deal between Jerusalem and Beirut, as well as Washington’s engagement with leaders in Syria and Iraq, offer glimmers of hope. The Iranian regime’s shocking attacks on its Persian Gulf neighbors in recent months have raised profound questions about future security arrangements in the region. 

Join Hudson Institute Senior Fellows Michael Doran and Ludovic Hood, Research Fellow Zineb Riboua, and Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Iran Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, for a timely discussion about the conflicts in the region and America’s strategic and diplomatic paths forward.

To request an RSVP, please reach out to Natalie Arbatman at narbatman@hudson.org.

In July 2026, President Donald Trump granted Ukraine a license to coproduce Patriot interceptors and declared that the ceasefire in Iran was over as Tehran retaliated against US allies in the Gulf. At the same time, Moscow and Beijing completed joint naval drills off Qingdao, China, home to a major People's Liberation Army naval fleet. And on July 6, China test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile from the South China Sea to the Pacific Ocean.   

These developments are interconnected. As Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea continue to coordinate, America’s strategic responses in Ukraine, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific will determine whether deterrence holds. How can America respond to threats on multiple fronts, and is its defense industrial base equipped to sustain the effort? 

Join Senior Fellow Dr. Rebeccah Heinrichs and Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) for a fireside discussion on how Congress can guide American strategy, the need to modernize the defense industrial base, and the vital role of allies and partners in an unstable international environment.

As the Chinese Communist Party intensifies its campaign of political, economic, and military pressure against Taiwan, the island's government and civil society have moved to strengthen national resilience on multiple fronts.

Please join Hudson Institute’s China Center as Miles Yu hosts a panel with key members of Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan and the Democratic Progressive Party to examine Taiwan’s mobilization efforts against the CCP’s increasing threats.

The discussion will address Taiwan's ability to counter disinformation and cognitive warfare, strengthen supply chain and economic security, and build public awareness of gray zone tactics. The panel will also address how Taiwan engages with international partners to reinforce democratic resilience in the face of sustained external pressure.

A New Look at US Communications Law is a timely book that explores the evolution of communications law in response to new technologies. It analyzes nearly every major topic of contemporary communications law, including the public interest, common carriage, wireless communications, privacy, and the First Amendment.

Join Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Robert McDowell for a discussion of the book and communications law with the authors, Harold Furchtgott-Roth, Kirk Arner, and Arielle Roth.